The highly anticipated iOS 18.2 update is set to transform your interaction with Apple devices, bringing a wealth of new features and improvements. This update primarily focuses on refining camera control, bolstering visual intelligence, and optimizing several core applications. These enhancements aim to make your daily use of Apple products more intuitive, efficient, and enjoyable. The video below from […]
The journey of creating a product doesn’t end at design—it’s where it begins. KeyShot, a trusted name in product visualization and rendering, is evolving that journey with its innovative Product Design-to-Market Suite. Imagine a world where designers, developers, and marketers don’t work in silos but move together in perfect sync. That’s the vision KeyShot is bringing to life, and it’s already shaking up workflows for companies big and small.
We sat down with Garin Gardiner, Product Director of KeyShot Hub, to uncover how this suite is solving challenges designers didn’t even know had solutions. From effortless collaboration to smarter asset management, KeyShot isn’t just keeping up with the demands of the design world—it’s rewriting the rules. Dive into this conversation to explore how KeyShot is empowering creators to dream big and deliver faster.
Yanko Design:What specific areas in the product design process does KeyShot’s new Product Design-to-Market Suite address? How does this optimize a business’ workflow in ways that older versions of KeyShot didn’t?
Garin Gardiner: Our flagship product, KeyShot Studio, is primarily geared towards the individual designer. It was the first scientifically accurate rendering engine, now used in over two-thirds of Fortune 500 companies, with thousands of customers around the world. We’ve always worked closely with our customers to keep Studio relevant to their needs, and over two decades of development, we learned about other significant needs related to the design process, team workflows and business logistics. We saw a huge opportunity to help – and to revolutionize the way products are brought to market.
We’re introducing a concept called Product Design-to-Market, which is a holistic strategy that connects the many departments involved in product creation and market delivery. You can think of it as bridging the product design and go-to-market processes. Instead of working in silos, we’re encouraging a smooth exchange of information and assets across design, development and marketing teams. The result is faster iteration, better alignment, and a seamless transition from first sketch to market delivery.
Of course, you need the right tools to make this vision a reality. Our Product Design-to-Market Suite, which includes KeyShot Studio, also provides comprehensive design team support in KeyShot Hub and connection to the management and distribution of marketing assets in KeyShot Dock.
Yanko Design:How have early adopters responded to KeyShot Hub’s collaboration capabilities, and can you share how it has improved their design process?
Garin Gardiner: It is amazing how nearly every customer we’ve talked to, when we ask them how they’re navigating team workflows, say they struggle managing a central repository for their team to find the core items they use frequently. When individuals can’t find what they’re looking for, they often create duplications, and there’s so much time wasted in that. Hub provides that central repository, so everyone has access to the current version of the file, meaning no duplications are necessary. Plus, changes to the file can automatically be tracked and you can easily revert back to a previous version.
Another favorite is the shared material library in Hub. Customers say being able to work from the same material library makes a huge difference. If a material gets modified, the entire team will automatically get the latest and greatest the next time they use a material. They are also able to tag it for easier searchability, so they aren’t creating duplicate materials, like they often do today.
Hub’s related assets feature is really resonating with customers. When you apply materials to a scene and save it to the Hub, you are able to see all those materials linked to the scene in the Hub for a quick CMF view of your scene.
Tagging is another feature customers appreciate. When saving a rendering to the Hub it will automatically attach tags – Model Sets, Camera, Studio, Environment, Image Style, Colorway, and Materials. These tags can then be used to search for renderings. Searches can be saved for later re-use by all members of the team. Our customers care a lot about their CMF – it’s a key aspect of what they do. They can also manually update tags if they prefer.
Customers are also loving the side-by-side comparison feature between versions. You can select two versions and real-time compare them using a dynamic slider; it’s really helpful to compare differences between versions, especially when the differences are in small details. Our customers create a lot of versions of the same rendering and being able to compare versions side-by-side is helpful.
These are all features that Hub users say address the team and workflow challenges they’re facing today. Ultimately, it’s all about saving time and enabling easy collaboration, so designers can focus on their craft rather than administrative tasks. And you can see how everything works in a full demo of Hub available on YouTube.
Yanko Design:What developments in other industries are providing inspiration for KeyShot as it paves the way forward with its new Product Design-to-Market Suite?
Garin Gardiner: There’s certainly movement toward breaking down silos and supporting cross-collaboration. We have seen how companies like Microsoft have enabled richer collaboration using the cloud through their Teams platform. We have also seen design tools like Fusion transform how their customers work with Fusion Team.
These developments were part of what inspired us to offer a purpose-built Product Design-to-Market Suite to better support our customers. Now KeyShot provides speedy and intuitive rendering, support for design team workflows, and support for marketing.
Yanko Design:We’re very excited about KeyShot Dock’s enhanced Digital Asset Management system! How do you envision it helping companies better organize and distribute their 3D assets across marketing and sales channels?
Garin Gardiner: Right now, marketing teams are typically responsible for generating their own images and animations, separate from product design. They budget for product visuals and often make them from scratch, spending time and money on photography and design work. But they could be saving time and money by repurposing the 3D renderings already produced by design teams, which make it easy to create an infinite amount of marketing-worthy product visuals. CAD models and KeyShot scenes can be stored in KeyShot Dock, providing a connection between marketing and product design and empowering marketing to use those assets across go-to-market channels.
Our customers tell us that 3D visuals are much more effective than 2D images or product photography; 3D visuals lead to higher conversions and lower return rates.
Customers can expect regular updates to Dock. Over time, we are looking to enable viewing 3D interactive files like GLBs and even the possibility of generating on-demand 3D viewables from CAD models like SolidWorks, STEP and more.
Yanko Design:How do you see technologies like AI and machine learning influencing the future of 3D rendering and Digital Asset Management, and will KeyShot incorporate these innovations?
Garin Gardiner: We’re considering how to incorporate AI into our tools in a way that adds value to users. While generative AI can provide impressive results in image generation, we still believe that accurate rendering – down to highly detailed materials and brand elements – will require physics-based rendering. However, we are analyzing how AI can help our customers achieve greater efficiency in their workflows or increase the speed and quality of rendering, through processes like sampling light rays used by rendering algorithms or denoising rendered images.
On the marketing side, AI has the potential to make it faster and easier for teams to generate 2D renderings as a replacement for physical photography. Imagine feeding AI with 100% accurate product data and using it to generate creative environments around accurate renderings.
These are all possibilities we’re looking at right now. AI has so much potential to provide creative and logistical support – it’s all about making the most of it.
This year’s been exhausting, hasn’t it?! Especially the last few weeks have been emotionally and mentally draining, and it isn’t just the news, but more specifically, it’s the information overload we’ve been subjected to. Even for a device small enough to fit in our pockets, the smartphone is capable of creating a lot of ‘noise’ in the form of news, texts, calls, notifications, ads, and a lot of data clutter that can overwhelm our brains. This data clutter and relentless bombardment of information is what led to the creation of the Mudita Kompakt, a phone that prioritizes mindful living over doomscrolling.
Created by the minds behind CD Projekt (think The Witcher, Cyberpunk 2077), Mudita Kompakt reflects co-founder Michał Kiciński’s personal journey toward a more balanced life. After years in the gaming industry, where endless connection was the norm, he sought a solution to keep people both connected and grounded. That drive led to Mudita’s mission to design devices that encourage simplicity, privacy, and a conscious digital experience.
The Mudita Kompakt keeps things refreshingly simple. Its 4.3-inch E Ink display is easy on the eyes and demands very little power. That’s right—this phone’s battery can last up to six days, which, in today’s daily-charging world, feels almost revolutionary. Inside, it packs a quad-core MediaTek processor, 3GB of RAM, and 32GB of storage (expandable via memory card). Sure, these aren’t flagship specs, but that’s really not the point. It’s all about cutting the clutter and retaining only the things that ‘spark joy’ here. Mudita keeps it lean, pre-loading only the most basic apps like phone, SMS, a calculator, and a voice recorder—none of those attention-demanding apps or bloatware that love to ping you at all hours.
For a phone, the Mudita Kompakt offers dual-SIM capabilities, with 4G LTE compatibility. You can make and receive calls on either SIM and even make/receive VoLTE or Wi-Fi calls, offering connectivity without much of a compromise. Given its entire premise is to stay disconnected from the clutter of the internet, it clearly doesn’t come with 5G, but that’s more of a feature than a bug, truth be told. There’s even support for eSIMs, which is perfect for carriers that don’t traditionally offer SIM cards.
For a phone that strives to be different from the status quo, it still makes a conscious effort to retain features that are cutting-edge… only if they matter to Mudita’s overarching ethos. You may not have a flashy screen and 5G connectivity, but the Kompakt DOES come with a fingerprint sensor to unlock your phone, ensuring biometric-grade security feels reassuring. Surprisingly enough, the phone comes with NFC support too, allowing you to use existing NFC tags around the house, as well as ensuring future compatibility with NFC-ready apps that Mudita may introduce down the road.
What’s remarkable about the Kompakt is its genuine intent to keep users focused on the real world, not the screen. It features an Offline+ mode activated by a physical switch, cutting off cell networks, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth, and even disabling the mics and camera for a true offline experience. Think of it as Airplane Mode on steroids, with no features that cause you to linger on your phone for too long. You can read existing messages (you won’t receive new ones), browse through your gallery, or listen to music without any distractions. All these actions have heavy intent behind them, so you’re less likely to end up in a doomscrolling spiral.
Tailored for E Ink®
On the design front, the Mudita Kompakt feels compact, sturdy, and unassuming. It boasts an IP54 rating, meaning it’s resistant to dust and splashes, so it can hold up to daily wear without needing a bulky case. While it does include a modest 8MP camera, this isn’t about capturing every detail of your day—just the moments you truly want to remember. Photos get displayed in greyscale on your E Ink display, adding a rather retro touch to your photography chops. And for the rare occasion you need to recharge, it’s conveniently equipped with wireless charging and a USB-C port, keeping up with modern conveniences.
The Kompakt’s software is built on a custom OS based on the Android Open Source Project. The twist? There’s no Google lurking in the background, collecting data. Mudita promises three years of software updates to keep things smooth, even though this isn’t the kind of phone that’ll be weighed down by big updates. That’s another angle to the Kompakt’s appeal: minimal fuss, minimal distraction, and maximum control over what you interact with.
Of course, going minimalist does have its trade-offs. There’s no Google Play Store here, so you won’t find a wide selection of apps. Mudita provides basic offline maps, a music player, and a few utilities like a meditation timer, voice recorder, an e-reader, and even a chess app that promises you won’t find yourself getting bored. You can, however, sideload other Android apps, although compatibility isn’t guaranteed. For those of us used to feature-packed smartphones, adjusting to a stripped-down OS could be tricky. But that’s the appeal—it’s a purposeful move away from digital noise, offering just enough functionality to meet core needs without temptations. A true digital detox, if you will.
Another perk of the Kompakt is privacy. Since it doesn’t sync with most cloud services, your data stays on your device. Sure, it may feel a bit old-fashioned to manage contacts and files through Mudita’s desktop app, but for privacy-minded users, this setup grants peace of mind. It’s a minor detour to ditch the endless cloud syncs and data-hungry services tracking your every move. The Kompakt is available starting at $316 for early adopters, with a 14-day money-back guarantee just in case the Kompakt feels like too much of a culture shock. Mudita offers Global and North American versions of the Kompakt, so it’s compatible with networks worldwide. Just don’t expect it to work everywhere yet—currently, it’s only shipping to select countries in Europe, the U.S., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Oh, and just in case you were wondering… it has a 3.5mm audio jack!
‘Omnibath,’ a combination of “Omni” and “bath,” represents a groundbreaking 2-in-1 faucet system that redefines the bathroom experience. The word “Omni” implies all-encompassing, without limits, while “bath” reflects the cleansing process. Together, Omnibath is designed to be an inclusive, accessible solution for people of all ages and abilities. This innovative product not only addresses common issues with conventional faucets but also offers a more intuitive and efficient bathing experience. With Omnibath, the complexity of managing water flow is replaced by simplicity, comfort, and reliability.
The motivation behind Omnibath stems from persistent issues that plague traditional faucets. One of the key problems is the high risk of malfunction, particularly with complex levers that often fail at inconvenient times. In humid, slippery bathroom environments, operating these levers becomes difficult and frustrating. Furthermore, the design of standard faucets is not user-friendly for those with mobility issues, making simple tasks like turning on the water or adjusting the temperature unnecessarily challenging. Omnibath was created to directly address these challenges, providing a faucet system that eliminates these frustrations and is suitable for a wide range of users.
One of Omnibath’s standout features is its intuitive design, making it incredibly user-friendly for everyone. The operation process is streamlined into three easy steps: first, users turn on the water with a simple motion, making it ideal for those who may have difficulty with standard faucets. Next, the pull-and-use mechanism allows users to easily switch between the faucet and shower functions, enhancing convenience. Finally, the jog dial enables precise temperature control, with the temperature visibly displayed for added safety. This design ensures that Omnibath is accessible to people of all abilities, from young children to the elderly.
In terms of aesthetics, Omnibath is as much about visual appeal as it is about functionality. The faucet is crafted with a sandblasted metal finish, providing a soft texture that is comfortable to grip even in wet conditions. Its cool gray color is a timeless and versatile choice, easily fitting into most bathroom decor schemes. The faucet’s shape is also thoughtfully designed, with soft, flowing lines that enhance its modern aesthetic while avoiding harsh edges. This creates a sleek, elegant look that complements its user-friendly features.
Even the packaging of Omnibath reflects its focus on practicality and ease of use. Inspired by the utility of a toolbox, the packaging is equipped with a hook on top that doubles as a handle, making it easy to carry. This clever design ensures that from the moment of purchase, users are met with convenience and functionality. The packaging not only protects the faucet but also serves as a nod to the product’s blend of form and function.
Omnibath is designed for effortless installation. It adheres to the standard dimensions for one-hole sinks, meaning it can easily replace existing faucets without the need for extensive modifications. The handle is easy to operate, further enhancing its accessibility for those with limited mobility or strength. This combination of thoughtful design and straightforward installation makes Omnibath an attractive option for homeowners looking to upgrade their bathroom fixtures with minimal hassle.
Safety is another core feature of Omnibath. The faucet is equipped with a visible water temperature indicator, reducing the risk of scalding and ensuring a safer bathing experience for all users, particularly children and the elderly. This added layer of protection gives users peace of mind, knowing that they can control and monitor the water temperature with precision.
Omnibath is a cutting-edge faucet system that merges style, functionality, and safety. By addressing the flaws of traditional designs, it offers a more intuitive, accessible, and reliable bathing solution. Whether you’re looking to enhance the aesthetic of your bathroom or need a faucet that’s easier and safer to use, Omnibath delivers on all fronts. Its sleek design, user-friendly features, and thoughtful packaging make it a must-have for any modern home.
We’ve seen Motocompo knock-offs, personal electric commuters and cargo bikes that would put a four-wheeler to shame. This one by San Francisco-based company Otherlab is radically different though. Dubbed Lightfoot, the electric cargo scooter has built-in solar panels to employ limitless solar power to charge the in-built battery.
The electric scooter’s 120W solar panels sandwich the considerably large 45.2 L storage compartment which is big enough to store essentials like a backpack, grocery bags, books, or any other essentials. One of these panels is hinged to allow access to the inside compartment. This space is also used to conceal the UL-certified 1.1 kWh battery and the 600W on-board charger.
The padded seat on the bike is comfortable enough for a single rider, however, if a pillion needs to take the ride home that option is also open as the bike has footplates too. Lightfoot is powered by a couple of 750W brushless DC motors that generate 90Nm peak torque and hurl it to a top speed of 20 miles per hour. Whether it can scoot around medium-grade hilly terrain is still not clear, but based on specifications alone it should be able to do that. The motors are plugged into the 1.1kWh battery capable of having a 37-mile range on a single charge.
The solar panels charge up in broad sunlight to add around 3 miles with an hour of charge, and 18 miles on a full sunny day. People who are heavy users will mostly rely on the wall plug charging option and the solar charge will be a bonus. The bike will be a good option for users who will use it for short trips to the supermarket or local metro station.
Otherlab has kept in mind the maintenance and repairability of the scooter at any service center or local garage since it comes with off-the-shelf components making up the functional parts of the ride. Another set of deal-making features are the one-year complete bike guarantee and two-year mechanical guarantee. To top it off you’ll also get the “ironclad buy-back guarantee” as the company is promising a buy-back option if the user is not satisfied with LIghtfoot. Interestingly the goofy little scooter will be available to buy in the US from January for a price of $4,995. We can expect it to make an appearance at CES 2025 in Las Vegas.
The iFixit teardown of the PS5 Pro is here, and while there isn’t all that much different going on from what we’ve seen with the PS5 and PS5 Slim in terms of repairability, Sony has made one notable change: in the Pro, it’s pretty easy to get to the CMOS battery. Whereas accessing this battery to replace it in the two previous PS5 models required a fair amount of work due to its placement beneath the main board, iFixit found that it’s right under the faceplates in the PS5 Pro and nestled behind a hatch that has just one screw.
That’s a nice improvement over the other PS5s, where “you’ve got to take apart almost the whole thing to change [the CMOS battery] out,” iFixit notes. Other than that, things look pretty familiar. That’s not to say the PS5 Pro itself doesn’t have excitement to offer — as our reviewers found, the PS5 Pro is an absolute beast of a console when it comes to performance. Less exciting though is its $700 price tag.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/ifixits-ps5-pro-teardown-reveals-an-easily-replaceable-cmos-battery-204423402.html?src=rss
Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) recently transformed a former Aldi store into an extraordinary museum. This isn’t something we see usually, but it is interesting to see the firm convert a humble store into something quite so impressive. The former store will be completely transformed into a paper museum with a light-filled space.
A visually intriguing and eye-catching roof will top the structure, and remind you of a massive piece of paper, that seems to be draped over the building. It is located in Jutland, Denmark, and currently, there aren’t any photos of the original store. But we have caught a glimpse of the current museum building. Dive in!
The building occupies around 900 sq m, but it will be increased to double the size to host workshops, events, teaching rooms, offices, and storage facilities. The pre-existing building walls will be equipped with a new acoustic-regulating layer of paper art on the exterior. This paper art draws inspiration from origami, and it will include loads of glazing.
The timber sourced will be from the same wood used to produce the paper. The museum will host paper-related exhibitions, and currently, it also includes a Paper-Plane airport and paper boats for children to interact and play with. It will be exciting to watch the exhibitions and events the museum will hold in the future.
“Paper art is about creating three-dimensional shapes and complex images from a monochromatic two-dimensional material – a sheet of paper,” said BIG boss Bjarke Ingels. “By treating the roof surface as such – a single sheet of folded paper – existing and new functions are brought together in one unifying gesture. The expressive is accentuated by the clear, complexity arises from simplicity. And an obsolete supermarket finds new life under the floating curved roof.”
The Museum for Papirkunst is a fine example of how many architectural designs and firms are undertaking initiatives to conduct massive and ambitious renovations. They are taking steps to improve existing buildings and elevating them, instead of building new structures and creating more pollution. This is a commendable effort on the part of majors firms and designers.
It’s been a few years since Apple first introduced the AirTag, and while the tracker has undoubtedly become a useful everyday tool for a lot of buyers, there have also been concerns — and a class-action lawsuit — over misuses of the device as reports of AirTag stalking have come to light. With all of this in mind, Apple is reportedly building some privacy improvements into its next AirTag. Namely, it’ll be more tamper-proof, Mark Gurman reports in this week’s Power On newsletter.
The second-generation AirTag, which Gurman reports is expected to be released mid-next year, will be made so it’s more difficult to remove the speaker, he writes. Apple has implemented features to curb unwanted tracking, including sound alerts that will let a person know there’s an unknown AirTag in their vicinity, but it’s still relatively easy to remove the speaker, which would make it less noticeable. On top of the privacy tweaks, the new AirTag will also bring upgrades to range and the onboard wireless chip, according to Gurman. But looks-wise, it shouldn’t be much different from the AirTag we’re used to.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/apples-next-airtag-is-coming-in-2025-with-privacy-improvements-173028439.html?src=rss
